Alloys are used in many components of the automotive, aeronautical and nautical industries. Alloys comprise at least one metallic element and at least one other element, metallic or non-metallic. Some properties of the alloy are typically enhanced over their individual component elements, such as increased tensile strength or thermal resistance.
In use, alloy components often experience high temperature and pressure conditions. These conditions lead to an increased rate of degradation of the components. Typically, degradation is caused by corrosion and oxidation. Degradation of the component weakens and reduces the desired properties of the alloys. Naturally, the surface of the components are often particularly susceptible to degradation.
The weakening of alloy components caused by degradation limits the lifetime of each component. Current methods for testing the degradation of alloy components are standard metallurgical methods, such as X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy and ion beam analysis. Obtaining a sample of the component to be used in such methods usually causes damage to the component, so that the component may not be used again. In some cases, the method itself may damage the section of the alloy that is being tested.
The lifetime of a component is estimated from average lifetime, calculated from analysis of previous components. The time that each component is used in service is significantly less than these average lifetimes, for safety reasons. This is particularly relevant in the aeronautical industry.